Creating shortcut...

[MozillaMonkey]

I'm trying to create a shortcut to a website.

When I go to the exact page (a login page) and then drag the page onto my desktop a
shortcut icon is created, as expected.

However when I click on the icon I am taken to the page BEFORE the login page.
On this page is an icon and the top you can click on that brings up the Login page,
it's called 'Sign On'.

Now here's the thing, when you are on either the page before login, or the actual
login page, the URL address bar gives the exact same address!

Is there any way to get Firefox to go to the actual login page when you click on the shortcut,
short of bringing in some third party app like 'Hotkey' etc.?

[kerft]

When you are on the page before the login page, and you hover on the sign on button, what shows in the status bar or bottom line of the screen? It could be similar to one of 4 things
1. only blank shows in the status bar
2. javascript::
3. website.com/login.asp in this case, I think your original method would have worked
4. website.com/login.php?&secure=true&button=clicked
For 1 and 2 I don't think the shortcut will work.
For 4, try creating a shortcut with exactly what shows in the status bar when hovering the button as the URL. If you cannot right click on the sign on button, you may need to make a screenshot while hovering the sign on button to see and retype yourself all the text.

Or, if you pin the tab of the logged in site (right click tab, pin tab), that may get special treatment compared to just a bookmark / shortcut. It might keep you always logged in using session restore features.

[dickvl]

Some web pages open another page in the same tab via XHR and do not change the URL.
In such cases you will always get the original page and not the page retrieved via XHR (sending POST data).
You can check if there is a special login page available by filling the form with invalid data.
That might send you to a login retry page with its own URL or this might also be handled via XHR on the same page and you are out of luck.

[MozillaMonkey]

When you are on the page before the login page, and you hover on the sign on button, what shows in the status bar or bottom line of the screen? It could be similar to one of 4 things
1. only blank shows in the status bar
2. javascript::
3. website.com/login.asp in this case, I think your original method would have worked
4. website.com/login.php?&secure=true&button=clicked
For 1 and 2 I don't think the shortcut will work.

I get 2. javascript:

[MozillaMonkey]

...You can check if there is a special login page available by filling the form with invalid data.
That might send you to a login retry page with its own URL...

Thanks dick, this seems to have worked.
I am getting a different looking login page, but a login page just the same.

I won't be able to test out whether it works for another week or so.
I'm trying to set this up for my mom and she is away on vacation until next week.

Will keep you posted later.
Thanks again!